a(n) is also the number of double cosets of H\G/K where G is the symmetric group S(2n), H is the subgroup generated by the centralizer of the circular permutation β = (1,2,3,...,2n) of G, K is a subgroup of G generated by the permutation ρ = (1,2)(3,4)...(2n-3,2n-2)(2n-1,2n), using cycle notation, and the subgroup (isomorphic with S(n)) that commutes with ρ and permutes odd resp. even integers among themselves.

For g > 0 the immersions are understood up to stable geotopy equivalence (the counted curves cannot be immersed in a surface of smaller genus). - Robert Coquereaux, Nov 23 2015